The Women Who Changed the IT World

Share this post Many people don’t consider these accomplishments a victory. There are many examples of women who achieved their goals when men were still more dominant than women.

This means that breaking the glass ceiling for women has not been easy. However, you might find many inspiring women who chose tech-related careers.
Did you know that women founded more than 20% of all tech startups around the globe?
Although the tech industry has been dominated by men, women have played an important role in making it what it is today. Recent research showed that more women joined Microsoft than 18% of men in 2016. These statistics prove that women are becoming an integral part of everything, from entertainment and science to politics as well as tech.
Let’s dive into the details to see how the tide is shifting.
The Tech World’s History: Women and Tech
In the IT industry, women were almost invisible not long ago. Women, especially minorities, faced huge obstacles in achieving equal rights. They were often underpaid, outnumbered, or overlooked. Unfortunately, the tech industry was one of those areas where it was easy to spot gender inequalities.
Consider the rise in US industrial productions during World War II. Women were able to share the responsibilities and fulfill the needs of the front line with men. They also experienced an immeasurable bias.
Six women programmed an electronic computer (ENIAC) during WWII. Their groundbreaking work in the tech field was not recognized for many years.
Although these women and others like them didn’t recognize their own lives, their achievements helped female generations overcome long-standing gender barriers.
Take a look at the gradual shift in perception of women in tech.
A glimpse at the perception of women in tech
Problems were not only caused by the lower percentage of women in technology, but also how people perceived them. People used to perceive the quality of programmers simply by knowing they were women.
This bias is still pervasive and there is no way to deny it. However, things are changing as more women enter the tech industry.
A survey of GitHub users revealed that women-generated code is 78.6 per cent more accepted than those generated by men. This shows that women can be coders better than men and can achieve high levels of success in this field.
Here’s a list of amazing women who have been role models for the tech industry.
Seven Women Who Changed the IT World
Ada Lovelace
Ada, a talented daughter of Lord Byron (romantic poet), had a remarkable mathematical talent. She was interested in machines and devices and developed a working relationship to Charles Babbage.
Babbage was instrumental in the invention of the “Analytical engine.” It was a complex device that resembled today’s computer. Ada was the first woman computer programmer. This was due to her outstanding work on various projects.
Grace Hopper
Grace M. Hopper’s contributions to computer programming are unquestionable. Grace M. Hopper is undoubtedly a well-known figure for her contributions to computer programming. She was also a programmer on the Harvard Mark I.
Grace’s contributions to the tech world led to COBOL development, the programming language computer engineers still use today.
It doesn’t stop there; Grace in 1947 recorded the first computer bug.
Annie Easley
Annie Easley was a well-known rocket scientist at NASA. She was also a pioneer in racial diversity at STEM and gender inequality. Annie was a woman from color and had contributed to many tech programs as a competent scientist.
Through her perseverance and enthusiasm for computer programs, she inspired many women. Tech genius, she broke down traditional barriers to help women find equal employment opportunities.
NASA’s Centaur rocket project was Easley’s most important contribution. This set the stage for future space shuttles.
Hedy Lamarr
Another prominent name in tech is Hedy Lemarr, who has received many accolades throughout her career. In 1942, Hedy Lemarr, a self-taught inventor and film actress, was awarded a patent for her invention of a “secret communication method.”
George Antheil, a composer, helped her design the system. It was a frequency-hopping device which set off radio-guided torpedoes in the war. This idea was the basis for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS technology that we use today.
Adele Goldberg
Adele Goldberg’s contributions were instrumental in the expansion